Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

अगस्त्यः श्रीशिवः प्रोक्तास्ते तेषां मुनयः क्रमात् । अथवा कामबीजादेर्विश्वामित्रो मुनिः स्मृतः ॥ ५७ ॥

Transliteration

agastyaḥ śrīśivaḥ proktāste teṣāṃ munayaḥ kramāt | athavā kāmabījāderviśvāmitro muniḥ smṛtaḥ || 57 ||

Translation

أُعلِنَ أَغَسْتْيَا والـشِّيفا المُبَجَّل سُلْطَتَيْنِ مُشْرِفَتَيْن؛ وبالترتيب تُذكَر أيضًا أسماء الحكماء (ṛṣi) لتلك المانترا. أو، بالنسبة لكاما-بيجا وما يتصل بها من بذور، يُذكَر فيشفاميترا بوصفه الرائي.

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रीशिवः: Śrī Śiva
• श्रीशिवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रीमान् शिवः)

• प्रोक्ताः: are declared/said
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (ते) प्रोक्ताः = ‘are said/declared’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial usage), अर्थे—‘क्रमेण’ (in order/serially)

• अथवा: or alternatively
• अथवा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or else’)

• कामबीजादेः: of (the set) beginning with the kāma-bīja
• कामबीजादेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + बीज + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कामबीजस्य आदिः = beginning with the kāma-bīja)

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सः) स्मृतः = ‘is remembered/considered’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada, teaching Vedanga/Mantra-śāstra conventions)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Shiva
• Vishvamitra
• Kama-bija

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It preserves the traditional mantra-śāstra rule that every mantra has an associated ṛṣi (seer) and authority-lineage; correct attribution is part of disciplined practice and safeguards the integrity of recitation.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

While technical, it supports bhakti by emphasizing orderly, tradition-rooted worship: mantras are approached through authorized seers and deities, aligning devotion with śāstric method rather than improvisation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical mantra-vidhi detail: identifying the mantra’s ṛṣi (seer) for bīja-mantras (like the Kāma-bīja), including an alternate tradition that assigns Viśvāmitra as the ṛṣi.